trauma goldfish

with the advent of summer, more and more people I know have been arriving to Mongolia and more and more activities are happening at work. this all combines to mean that it can be impossible to plan ahead more than 12 hours, at least with any certainty you'll be able to keep plans as promised.

pre-mongolia teresa would find this incredibly stressful. if i would plan something in the evening back in the u.s. i would want at least a day's notice to shift around my meal plans, clothing selection, and work load. here, it's just part of life. i would like to think i'm becoming more easy-going, more zen...i somehow doubt that that is true though.

there's been a lot of really wonderful events recently and i've done a poor job of writing them up for the blog. here's just a few:


Two weeks ago I connected up again with the University of Culture and Arts, my official sponsor, to discuss how my research has gone and to work on my exit letter. In some ways it feels like 9 months has gone very fast, and it felt great to look at my "final" reports and see how much data I have collected. I also got to go to a concert by famous Inner Mongolian singer Urna



Last week I said goodbye to most of my Fulbright group, said hello to new and old friends from Indiana University, saw Star Trek Into Darkness (fantastic), and did several staff interviews.

Friday and Saturday, however, probably deserve posts all of their own.

Friday in short form: a successful trip to the black market, a delicious lunch of Indian food at Hazara (curried eggplant and garlic naan is my new favorite there), and a lazy afternoon with friends back at my apartment eating cherry crisp and looking at maps. I'm too lazy to take and upload pictures now, but I am greatly pleased with the embossed leather belt and blue and silver jacket I bought.


Saturday was my first and probably only trip to Amarbayasgalant, and it was a crazy, hectic, awesome, successful day. When I got in the delica van that morning, I had no idea that I'd be doing my community survey that day and have only four hours to accomplish it. With only one initial form and no presents, not even the clipboard I brought back specially from the U.S. for this, I still got the data I needed and got to see a part of Mongolia I've never seen before. Selenge aimag is the north of Mongolia and gets a higher amount of precipitation than most areas, so the grass is lush and some of the steppe had been tilled into fields.





This week is the Stars of the American Ballet tour in Mongolia, and then this weekend I'm planning to go to Sainshand with friends to revisit the Danzanravjaa Museum and Khamriin Hiid (the monastery and energy center). I'm sure it will also be a rollercoaster, but it should be good times.